Carnival cruise passenger suffers genital injury, $A71k medical bill after non-affiliated rope excursion

A dream Carribean cruise has ended in multiple surgeries and mounting medical bills for an American woman after a horror accident during a beach excursion left her with “catastrophic injuries”.

Kirsten Lindsey, 28, was holidaying with boyfriend, Blake Ford, on a Carnival cruise ship when she was injured while using a rope swing during a stop in Honduras on the third day of their trip.

In a GoFundMe campaign set up to help pay for her mounting medical bills totalling more than $50,000 ($A71,000), Mr Ford said he believes a fault with the attraction caused the incident.

“What was supposed to be Kirsten’s first cruise turned into the worst experience of our lives,” he wrote in the fundraiser’s statement.

“Based on what we witnessed, a retrieval/tag line appears to have been improperly connected to the swing.

“As she swung out, the line tightened between her legs just before she dropped, causing a catastrophic injury.”

Ms Lindsey initially thought she had only suffered a minor graze to her groin area and tried to push through the pain as the couple made their way back to the ship.

But the magnitude of her injuries started to become clear when she was unable to manage the pain and the “swelling became severe”

The situation became dire when she could no longer walk and needed a wheelchair to get around the decks of the ship.

Medical professionals on board the vessel treated Ms Lindsey as the swelling on her genitals blew up to the size of a baseball.

But despite spending more than 12 days under the care of staff at the cruise liner’s medical centre, Ms Lindsey’s condition continued to deteriorate quickly.

The pair were then faced with three options: remain under the ship’s care, travel to Cozumel and organise their own return to the States, or pay for an emergency medical flight home.

They opted to be excavated by plane, which they were told they would need to cough up a $20,000 ($A28,600) deposit and another $30,000 ($A42,900) upon arrival in the US.

“While waiting for evacuation, Kirsten spent approximately 26 hours in the ship’s medical facility, where charges alone reached around $3,500, not including physician services, medications, and procedures,” the GoFundMe continued.

“During that time, her pain became so severe that she could barely move, and at one point the medical staff told me they were trying to keep her awake because she would stop breathing whenever she drifted off from the pain medication.”

Mr Ford claims she was taken by ambulance to an airport after several hours of delays, where they were flown to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in a private medical jet.

Ms Lindsey underwent surgery in Florida before travelling by road back to her hometown of Louisiana, where she received further treatment.

In a statement provided to The Nightly, a Carnival spokesperson said the company was aware of the incident, and although it didn’t occur onboard one of its vessels or though an excursion sponsored by the cruise liner, their condolences were with Ms Lindsey’s family.

“We are aware of reports regarding a guest who was injured while independently exploring Honduras. After returning to the ship, the guest was promptly cared for by our onboard medical team, which provided treatment and facilitated access to additional medical resources,” the statement said.

“While the incident did not occur on a Carnival-sponsored excursion, we remain concerned for the guest’s recovery. The safety and well-being of our guests is always our top priority.”

Mr Ford said his partner still races a long road to recovery and the pair are grateful to donors who have, at the time of writing, raised $20,167 ($A28,892) of the campaign’s $22,000 ($A31,500) goal.

The financial impact has been overwhelming. Between emergency transportation, medical expenses, travel, lodging, lost income, and the unexpected costs of getting ourselves and our vehicle back home, the expenses continue to grow,” he wrote.

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness, support, and prayers during one of the hardest times we’ve ever faced.”